Facebook Live vs. Periscope

Before Facebook Live was introduced, bloggers and Internet personalities used Periscope.

While Periscope was technically Twitter’s native streaming app, it could be used to broadcast on other channels, as well. Many people posted that they would be on Periscope, or included a link to their feed.

Now that Facebook Live is on the scene, marketers with limited time and resources are faced with making a choice about which service they should use for their live video needs.

Here’s what you need to know about Facebook Live vs. Periscope:

Periscope

Though Periscope originated with Twitter, it is actually a standalone app. You do not have to be signed into Twitter to use it, and you are not limited to publishing your stream only on Twitter.

This is a great advantage that Facebook Live does not offer. Facebook Live is proprietary, and it can only be accessed and displayed on Facebook.

The Periscope app not only lets you broadcast, but it also allows you to keep track of who views your broadcast, to save the streams you like, and to follow the users you like. The interface is very user-friendly, so it is easy to learn and start using quickly.

The longer you use Periscope, the more features you will be able to use. In particular, you will be able to sketch while you are broadcasting. So there is benefit to sticking with the service over time.

While you can broadcast to drones with both services, Periscope sets itself apart by allowing you to broadcast to GoPro, as well. Eventually, Facebook is likely to also offer this ability since the social networking giant aims to be the best in everything it does. However, for now, you’ll have to stick with Periscope if you want that benefit.

Facebook Live

The primary advantage of Facebook Live is the same advantage you get from any activity you engage in on Facebook: The site’s enormous audience.

Facebook now has an active user base of 1.6 billion people. You have a huge potential audience when you broadcast on the network and make your stream public. You just need to use the right hashtags and keywords to get the exposure you want, as well as to encourage user engagement from your own followers.

Compare that to Periscope’s user base of just over 10 million active users, and you can see that Facebook Live is the superior option for getting exposure.

Facebook also prioritizes the Live streams in the news feed, so you get even more exposure by using the service.

Facebook Live may not be a standalone app, but it can be used directly through the Facebook app. You just open the app the same way you would if you wanted to post a status update, and you choose the “live” option right at the top left of the screen. There is a little video camera icon next to it to make it clear.

You can easily archive your Facebook Live videos through the app, as well. The streams are permanently kept on the site unless the creator deletes them.

Right now, the only way to keep track of your Periscope streams is to add the hashtag #save to them and then search for that hashtag later. Otherwise, you’d have to manually scroll through the feed and search for what you needed.

With Facebook Live, your streams are all saved automatically. You can just open up the saved files and find what you need quickly.

The Winner

When you compare any service or tool, there is rarely a clear winner. Ultimately, the decision will depend on the particular needs of your brand and your own personal preferences.

For example, if you do not have a presence on Facebook, or if more of your users are on Twitter, you may find that Periscope is the better option for you. However, if you spend the majority of your social marketing resources on Facebook, you should likely take advantage of the Live streaming option.

You need to do the market research to find out where your audience is most likely to be and which streaming option is likely to get you the best results. You can then run some split testing to find out what days of the week and times of day get you the most viewers and the most engagement.

You then need to create a detailed plan for creating live videos that get results. With the right planning, you can leverage your streaming to get more brand exposure, to increase leads and to increase sales.

Of course, you can always stream on both Periscope and Facebook Live if you find a compelling reason to do so, but it will mean having to duplicate your efforts. Settling on a single platform will help you streamline your efforts and get faster results with fewer resources.